ive shot a few deer now with 223 ars using 60 grain partitions and they worked just fine out to 200 yards.
That's good to know. Just what I have reloaded, not that I am going to hunt with the AR. My sons will though. I do have several Handi-rifles in that caliber which, when tuned for accuracy, will be used.
Inherent accuracy in the AR leads to shot placement as the critical component in the hunt. Well, the deer have to participate too. Letting the boys take the AR's to the woods to hunt helps gets them out of bed, so it's good.
For the Record: Since the caliber's inception, DNR & FWC Departments, NASA and USAF Security dispatch research and nuisance deer, by the 10's of thousands over years, in and out of season, at night, by spotlight, with the 223 caliber. They may be sharing the responsibility with bolt action rifles as the "launch platform", but the caliber works, very well, on both deer and hogs. Reduced report, reduced recoil, inherent accuracy, swift follow-up shots, and cheap ammunition are some of the decision factors in choosing the 223.
The AR is a heavy rifle, rugged, and made for warfighter use. Sitting with one might not be too bad, but stalking through the woods all day would be tiring.